Children aged 18 and over
If your child is 18 years of age or over, you can continue to get an Increase for a Qualified Child for three months after he or she leaves second level education or finishes the Leaving Certificate.
If you are getting a long-term social welfare payment and your child is in full-time education, an Increase for a Qualified Child will be paid up to 22 years of age or up to the end of the academic year in which he or she reaches 22.
If you are getting a short-term social welfare payment for at least 156 days and your child is in full-time education, an Increase for a Qualified Child will be paid up to 22 years of age or up to the end of the academic year in which he or she reaches 22. Time spent on other social welfare payments can be combined to meet the 156 days but the period between any two payments must not be more than 26 weeks. The period between Jobseeker's Allowance payments must not be more than 52 weeks.